Mind you, it's not all bad. The little time I get in the w'shop is all my own without awkward "how's the chair coming?" questions when I get in again. I confess, I'm having a chair vacation for a week. There, I've said it. It makes sense though; I was getting jaded and thinking about cutting sanding corners instead of doing it properly. Much better to do something else and come back to it afresh, is my thinking. So I decided to indulge my tool-making itch. The plan was to do some handle turning, maybe tackle the long term project of getting good oval screwdriver handles. But it was perishing cold here today so the unheated garage wherein the lathe resides wasn't a welcome prospect. How about that long-postponed stair saw then?
I've already got a design in mind, some walnut of just the right thickness, even the white pencil handy to make clear marks. And somewhere, ready prepared over a year ago, is the blade. I need the blade 'cos I can't remember what length I made it. I hunted through all the likely places and all the unlikely ones too.
I couldn't find it.
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Okay, yes, I have one or two other hunks of saw blade from which to make another, but I just know as soon as I do that it'll turn up. Damned if I'll make a replacement. So I find myself at an "imp arse". But by a happy coincidence I found instead a box of brass, countersunk, cross head machine screws. Huzzah, I can finish the chair devil properly at last. So I did. And then thought about maybe making one with a straight blade, now I had the machine screws... A while ago I found myself smitten with Brian Buckner's "Gunstock Scraper" and fancied making one of my own. Well why not now? In a bid to convince myself it wasn't a skive I took lots of WIP shots and told myself maybe I'd write an article and try Good Woodworking with it. I probably won't, but that's what I told myself...
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Very nice Alf! Lovely even. What a great combo of wood.
ReplyDeleteMike
What a beautiful pair of tools. I look forward to reading the article.
ReplyDeleteAww shucks, going from youse guys, especially you, Mike, well that's really appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAlf,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could set yourself up as the MikeW of the scraper world. :-)
Well, really, those are lovely. I did show you a picture of my unispired LV shave kit, didn't I? Once upon a time?
ReplyDeleteYours makes me want to let in some contrasting wood, strip the plain wax off and polish it proper.
That's why you really ought to put something together for the magazine. You inspire confidence and desire, Alf.
Take care, Mike